Tag: Phoenix Suns

Suns troll Nets fans, Brooklyn residents during release of 2024-25 NBA schedule

The Brooklyn Nets finally saw their entire schedule for the 2024-25 NBA season, but the Phoenix Suns decided to troll them for their laughs.

The Brooklyn Nets can move forward knowing every matchup that they will be playing during the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season after the league released the full schedule on Thursday. With Brooklyn patiently awaiting the start of training camp and everything that follows, they may have some extra motivation from a Western Conference foe.

As is the case for most events in the NBA calendar, every team tries to partake in the event in a creative way, such as doing something cool that’s related to the release of the schedule. For a team like the Phoenix Suns, they decided to approach their schedule release by making sure that every team had a reason to get back at them in some way.

When it came time for the Suns to describe Brooklyn’s fanbase, they used a trope that is common for the Nets, especially since the team hasn’t been in Brooklyn for the franchise’s entire existence. In what is one of the most common memes to be used nowadays, the man (Brooklyn residents/fans) that is walking with his girlfriend (Nets) is looking back to look at the other girl (New York Knicks).

For anyone that is in a relationship, this is a big no-no, but it seems that enough people believe that Nets fans are always looking at the Knicks, especially with the franchise potentially on the brink of making it to the Eastern Conference Finals this upcoming season. Ultimately, all of this trolling is in the name of good fun and it brings an added element to one of the most exciting times of the offseason for NBA fans.

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Former Texas Longhorn Kevin Durant returns to Austin for special on-campus NBA game at Moody Center

Former Texas Longhorns hoops star Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns will face San Antonio in Spurs’ annual I-35 series at Moody Center. 

Kevin Durant is going back to Austin. The former Texas Longhorns basketball star and his current team, the Phoenix Suns, will face San Antonio in the Spurs’ annual I-35 series.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, KD and the Suns take on the Spurs on Feb. 20 at 8:30 p.m. at the Moody Center on the UT campus. San Antonio will take on the Detroit Pistons the next night, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m.

Durant played one season for the Texas men’s team before being drafted second overall in the 2007 NBA draft. He recently became the first men’s basketball player to win his fourth Olympic gold medal after Team USA beat France in the Paris Games.

“We’re thrilled by the response we’ve enjoyed in Austin the last two seasons. We had high hopes when we decided to play regular season games in Austin and the results have far surpassed our expectations … We’re excited to continue to connect with our fans in Austin and across our region in meaningful ways during the 2024-25 season and into the future.” — Brandon James, Spurs senior vice president of strategic growth.

Tickets for the games will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday with Spurs season ticket holders receiving presale access at 2 p.m. Thursday while Official Spurs Fan Club members will receive presale access at 3 p.m.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Trey Luerssen on Twitter @TreyLuerssen.

Former Duke basketball star Grayson Allen earns second-highest 3-point rating in NBA 2K25

Former Duke basketball star Grayson Allen led the NBA in 3-point percentage last season, and the NBA 2K25 developers rewarded his form.

Former Duke basketball star [autotag]Grayson Allen[/autotag] had a career year with the Phoenix Suns in 2023-24, and the developers of NBA 2K25 surely took notice of his step forward.

NBA 2K released a list of the five players with the highest 3-point shooting ratings on Monday, and Allen finished second with a 93 overall score. Only Golden State Warriors legend Steph Curry (95) earned a higher grade, and Allen outpaced NBA superstars like Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.

Allen actually led the NBA in 3-point percentage last season, connecting on 46.1% of his triples en route to a career-high 13.5 points per game. The former Blue Devil had always been an effective deep threat, making at least 39% of his 3-point efforts in each of the previous four seasons, but he became truly deadly in his first year with the Suns.

The campaign led to a four-year contract extension, keeping Allen in Phoenix through 2027-28. He’ll get to play with former Duke teammate Tyus Jones, whom he won a national championship with in 2015, and former Blue Devil Mason Plumlee next season.

Allen, a four-year Duke star, has scored more points in a Duke uniform than any Blue Devil since 2010.

Could we see a 2025 NBA Finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns?

The results from the 2023-24 season could not have been starker, with the Suns a first round exit and the Celtics eventual champs.

Could we see a 2025 NBA Finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns? The Suns were the first ball club to lean into the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and its punitive measures for big-spending teams. Soon after, the Celtics followed suit, albeit in a more organic fashion than Phoenix.

The results from the 2023-24 season could not have been starker, with the Suns a first round exit and the Celtics eventual champs. But a lot of things went wrong for the Suns, and their roster needed fine-tuning and experience they may now have to compliment their top-tier players. Could this be the season these two squads clash in the finals?

Cohost of the CLNS Media “The Big Three NBA” podcast, A. Sherrod Blakely, recently sat down with the Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin to talk it over, along with the Olympics and more about the season ahead. Check it out above!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Steve Kerr praises Devin Booker’s performance for Team USA in Olympics

Steve Kerr made a point to praise the Suns guard for his performance in the Olympics.

While a lot of the attention coming off the final two games of Team USA’s run to gold in the Olympics surrounds Stephen Curry following back-to-back ridiculous performances from the Golden State Warriors guard, head coach Steve Kerr made a point to call out the performance of one specific player.

After Team USA secured gold with a thrilling win over France in Paris, Kerr spoke with members of the media in his postgame press conference. Before his presser came to an end, Kerr shared some high praise for Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. Kerr called Booker Team USA’s “unsung MVP.”

Via @davidaldridgedc on Twitter:

Curry then took to Instagram to co-sign Kerr’s praise of Booker.

Via @CGBBurner on Twitter:

Booker was one of four players to score in double figures for Team USA on Saturday. Booker finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with six rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. Booker tallied 10 or more points in four of Team USA’s six games in Paris.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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E.J Liddell traded to another new team

Hopefully, Liddell can land somewhere where he can have a stable career soon. #GoBucks

Former Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell is on the move again. For the second time in about a month, the former All-Big Ten performer was traded. He was first shipped to the Atlanta Hawks from the New Orleans Pelicans on June 28. And just four weeks later, the Hawks have sent the U-Haul to Phoenix and the Suns.

Liddell was selected by the Pelicans in the second round of the 2022 but suffered a torn ACL that wiped out his rookie season. He received only spot duty in his return this past season, appearing in just five games for the Pelicans, picking up most of his playing time and development instead in the NBA’s G-League.

The Hawks inserted the former Buckeye start in five summer league games once he arrived there, but now it appears Liddell will have to start over again. Even more challenging are reports that the Suns may release the 6-foot, 6-inch ‘tweener soon to open up a roster spot.

Here’s to hoping Liddell can find somwhere stable to continue his professional basketball career soon.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

Former Duke basketball star Tyus Jones reunites with Grayson Allen on Phoenix Suns

Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen, two members of the 2015 national title squad, will again be teammates after Jones signed with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.

Duke basketball fans yearning for some national championship nostalgia got some good news on Saturday.

Tyus Jones, who won a national championship with the Blue Devils back in 2015, signed with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the deal, a one-year contract worth $3.3 million dollars.

The deal reunites Jones with Grayson Allen, a freshman on that 2014-15 title team.

During the 2015 national championship game against Wisconsin, Jones and Allen finished as the Blue Devils’ two leading scorers. They teamed for 39 of Duke’s 68 points and shot a combined 12/21 (57.1%) from the floor.

The rest of the team made 12 of their 30 shots. Given that the Blue Devils won that game by five points, it’s reasonable to say Jones and Allen single-handedly brought the fifth banner to Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“The chance to play for the Phoenix Suns made the most sense on a lot of levels to me and my family,” Jones said in a statement about the contract. “Coach (Mike Budenholzer) showed me how I can significantly impact a team that has a real opportunity to challenge for an NBA title as their starting point guard.”

Jones, who previously played for the Washington Wizards, averaged 12.0 points and 7.3 assists (both career-highs) last season. Allen, for his part, also set a new personal best with 13.5 points per game after shooting an NBA-best 46.1% from 3-point range.

Tyson Walker makes the most of Summer League outing

Tyson Walker looked good in Phoenix’s summer league matchup:

Tyson Walker is playing with the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Summer League, looking to make a name for himself and earn himself a place in the NBA or G-League for the upcoming season.

On Wednesday, Walker made the most of his 22 minutes with 8 points, 4 assists, 3 steals and a staggering +22 plus-minus.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner

Lakers will be in West Group B for the 2024-25 in-season tournament

The Lakers’ competition in the 2024-25 NBA in-season tournament has been announced.

When the NBA announced its first-ever in-season tournament for the 2023-24 season, some were skeptical and dismissed it as a gimmick. While one can debate the value and weight of winning the tournament, it was a success for the league.

Players played with more gusto during tournament games, and the final game of the tourney got excellent ratings. Of course, in that final game, the Los Angeles Lakers brushed past the Indiana Pacers, 123-109, to win the inaugural NBA Cup.

For this coming season, the in-season tournament has a new sponsor in the airline Emirates. On Friday, the groups for the tourney were announced, and the Lakers will be in West Group B along with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs.

While this may not be the most competitive group (that will likely be West Group C), it won’t be an easy one either. The Suns still have Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, while the Thunder finished with the top seed in the Western Conference last season and look to be even stronger going into the 2024-25 campaign.

Meanwhile, playing the Spurs means dealing with Victor Wembanyama, the reigning Rookie of the Year. Many feel the 7-foot-4 France native is going to become an MVP-caliber player, if not the best player in the world, within five years, and it is scary to think how much better he will be in just his second pro season.

OKC Thunder to be part of West’s Group B for 2024-25 NBA Cup

OKC Thunder to be part of West’s Group B for 2024-25 NBA Cup.

The NBA announced its six groups for the 2024-25 NBA Cup. The Oklahoma City Thunder will be in the West’s Group B with the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs.

The league will have six groups of five NBA squads divided among the Western and Eastern conferences. Each team will play four games against the rest of their group.

These games will occur on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the November and December portion of the 2024-25 season.

Whoever has the best record among the six groups advances to an eight-team knockout tournament with two at-large bids — one from the West and one from the East.

The quarterfinals will be played from Dec. 10-11. The remainder of the tournament will be held in Las Vegas from Dec. 14-17. The NBA Cup championship will take place on Dec. 17.

The rest of the groups are as follows:

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